Sequoia National Park; home of the giants and much more!

Several things impress as you approach this majestic park and its neighbor, Kings Canyon National Park, from Fresno, CA (we arrived on Hwy 198 at the Ash Mountain entrance).  They include the rapid and scenic rise from near sea level in the San Joaquin Valley to 7,000 feet in the Sierra, the frequent number of immense Sequoia groves throughout the two parks, and incredible views of the Sierra, particularly in the Kings Canyon!



Photos, from top down: The General Sherman Tree amazes scores of tourists while Park Ranger offers insights; our teardrop Scotty trailer in Lodgepole Campground; our trailer and Focus with Kings Canyon as a backdrop in distance; entrace to General Sherman Tree walkway; Susan with a mid-size Sequoia stump; and our Focus passing under the Tunnel Tree!

We were camping on a recent visit (towing a small Scotty teardrop trailer), and made for a reserved spot in a delightful Sequoia campground, Lodgepole Camp, complete with village/store and visitor center. Nearby is a marvelous hotel, The Wuksachi, complete with great restaurant and cute bar. Sequoia and its neighbor Kings Canyon offer a host of other campgrounds and lodging options; go to www.nps.gov/seki.

Once settled into our campsite, we began our tour of the park by driving a few miles to the General Sherman Tree grove, and hiking downhill to the grove of over-sized trees. First impressions count, a lot – one is amazed that around every turn is a monster Sequoia, measuring 12 to 35 feet in diameter and topping out at almost 300 feet.

One does not expect to be so awed by the General Sherman itself, but it is “that much larger” than its neighbors, measuring 40 feet in diameter, 275 feet in height, and, in total volume of wood, the largest tree in the world! It makes for big crowds, as the most known feature in the park.

Nearby, a side road takes you to Moro Rock, worth the short hike for great views, past the “Auto Tree” (where cars once drove up upon the huge downed trunk) and to Tunnel Log, where one can drive your car or truck through the hollowed-out trunk. It makes for great photos!  Another option, in summer, is the road to Crystal Cave, for you spelunkers! While driving, keep your eyes open for deer, skunks, coyotes and, occasionally, black bears!

The adjoining Kings Canyon National Park offers its own share of stunning revelations, though the parks size and scope of its features require a day or more to fully explore! Plan a long weekend trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks; you will forever want to return for deeper exploration!  For more interesting California destinations, see my blog, www.LittlePlacesIKnow.blogspot.com.